Adjustable indicating-dial for letter-boxes.



No. 740,351. PATE TBD 001. 6, 1903.

G. H. HUNTINGTON.

' AD JUSTABLB INDIGATING DIAL FORLETTER BOXES.

APPLIDATION FILED 0U'1.16, 1902.

10 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. i H.l I

is warm: co. PHoTu-u'muw WASHINGTQN, n. c.

PATENTED m. 6, 1903.

. e. H. HUNTINGTON. ADJUSTABLE INDIGATING DIAL FOR LETTER BOXES.

APPLIOATIOK FILED OCT. 16, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

ms mums varies on PHOTO-LITFO wasnmmcu. a. c.

' tion to be 7.10.

view of the device before it is applied to the UNITED STATES PatentedOctober 6, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ADJUSTABLE INDICATING- "DIAL FOR LETTER-BOXES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 740,861 dated October 6,1903. Application filed October 16, 1902. Serial No. 127.446. N0 modemTo all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. HUNTINGTON, acitizen of the United States,residing in New York city, county and State of New York, have invented-anew and usefullmprovement in Adjustable Indicating-Dials for Letter-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to adjustable 'indi eating-dials forletter-boxes,particularly that class of dials which are arranged to beadjusted by the letter-carrier to indicate the time of the nextcollection.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification,my invention is fully illustrated, with similar letters of reference toindicate corresponding parts, as

knobs which pass through the face of the lettor-box, by means of whichthe indicatingdials are turned. Fig. 2 represents a face view of thedevice mounted on the front of the letter-box A, indicating the Nextcollec- Fig. 3 represents a rear letter-box, showing themanner in whichthe dials are held adjustably in place by means of the clamping-springs;Fig. 4 is a section through the'center of Figs. land 2, showing themanner in which the knobs act the dials a pass through the face A of theletter-box, so that the dials may be operated from'the inside of the boxonly. Fig. 5 represents a face view of the indicating-dials in positionas they would appear if the casing g, Fig. l, was removed. y I

One of the principal objects of my invention is to confine theindicating and operating mechanism within a case or hood that can bereadily applied to the outside of the lettor-box, with theoperating-knobs passing through the front A of the letter-box, so as topermit of the dials being operated only from the inside of theletter-box. The manner in which I accomplish this is to first constructthe hood or casing g, (of the shape illustrated,) which is cupped outthe desired depth to hold the operating mechanism. This casv ing g isprovided with two depressions or countersunk centers h, into which thetrunnions '21, formed on the hub of the indicatingdials, rest androtate, and surrounding the depressions h are twelve smallerdepressions, as It, one of each being directly opposite each of thenumerals on the dial a, (radial liue,)

thus bringing one of the numerals (such asv 7, Figs. 2 and 5) directlyinthe center of the opening when the three pins m, located on the face ofthe indicating-dial, are engaged with three corresponding depressionsit, which would be radially opposite the numerals 2, 6, and 10, Fig. 5,the indicating-dial being held in position by the spring supporting-'arm 0, which will be hereinafter explained.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, two small bolts, as it, pass throughthe casing g from the outside, and these bolts are each provided on theinside with a small washer, as 0, Fig.

4, which is about as thick as the distance between the indicating-dialand the inside of the casing g, and'on top of these washers is placed astrap 19, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The flat springs o are providedwith forked ends which fit within the annular grooves g, provided in thehubs of the indicating-dials, and embrace said hubs, and said springsare bolted down tight upon the strap p by means of the nuts 3, thusholding the pins m of the indicating-dials within the depressions k, asabove described, and making it impossible to rotate either dial ineither direction until it is drawn far enough back to disengage the pinsm from the depressions it, after which it may be turned to the desiredindication and released, it being then forced into the locked positionby the tension of its springs c. 7

In Fig. 4 it will be seen that the bolts 11. are sufficiently longtopass through the front A of the letter-box, and by means oft-he nuts25seing device to the front of the letter-box, consisting of the twobolts 91 and nuts't, is also utilized to combine the parts of theindicator by means of the additional nuts s.

The pressure of the retaining-springs 0 can be regulated to any desiredamount to force the pins m within the depressions 70, Figs. 3, 4, and 5,and by using three or more pins m the indicating-dial acted upon by theretaining-springs c keeps the face of the dial parallel with the insideface of the casing g and far enough away from the casing to prevent anyscratching of the dial-face.

Another principal objectin the construction of this locking device is toavoid the possibility of the dials being turned from the outside throughthe indicating-slot n, Fig. 2, by any malicious person should the glasswhich the indicating-slot contains become broken.

The manner of operating my improved indicating device is to grasp eitherof the knobs e, as the case may require, from the inside of theletter-box, then draw -the knob back, so as to disengage the pins m fromthe depressions 76, then turn the dial by means of the knob until thedesired numeral shows in the slot 1; through the face of the casing thenrelease the knob, and the fiat retaining-spring 0 will force the pins mwithin the suitable depressions 7c and the device will be locked.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. A collection-indicating device for mailboxes, comprising a casinghaving a depression formed therein, a symbol-bearing dial arranged insaid casing and having at one of its faces a trunnion rotatably mountedin said depression, said dial having at its other face anoperating-knob, a spring supporting-arm having a forked end engaged withthe operating-knob of said dial and exerting its tension to maintainsaid trunnion in said depression, and means for locking said dialagainst rotation.

2. A collection-indicating device for mailboxes, comprising a casinghaving a central depression formed therein and a series of smallerdepressions arranged around said central depression, a numeral-bearingdial arranged in said casing and having at oneof its faces a trunnionrotatably mounted in said depression, said dial having at its other facean operating-knob, a spring supporting-arm having a forked end engagedwith the operating-knob of said dial and exertingits tension to maintainsaid trunnion in said depression, and pins carried by said dial andengaging said series of depressions for locking said dial againstrotation.

3. A collection-indicating device for mailboxes, comprising anopen-sided casing having a depression formed therein, a symbolbearingdial arranged in said casing and having at one of its faces a trunnionrotatably mounted in said depression, said dial having at its other facean operating-knob which projects through the open side of said casing,and a spring supporting-arm carried by said casing and engaged with saiddial, said arm exerting its tension to maintain said trunnion in saiddepression. 4

4. A collection-indicating device for mailboxes, comprising anopen-sided casing having a depression formed therein, a symbolbearingdial arranged in said casing and having at one of its faces a trunnionrotatably mounted in said depression, said dial having atits other facean operating-knob which projects through the open side of said casing, aspring supporting-arm carried by said casing and engaged with said dial,said arm exerting its tension to maintain said trunnion in saiddepression, and means for locking said dial against rotation.

5. A collection-indicating device for mailboxes, comprising anopen-sided casing having a depression formed therein, a symbolbearingdial arranged in said casing and having at one of its faces a trunnionrotatably mounted in said depression, said dial having at its other facean operating-knob which projects through the open side of said casing,and a spring supporting-arm carried by said casing and engaged with saiddial, said arm exertingits tension to maintain said trunnion in saiddepression, in combination with a mailbox having an opening formedtherein to receive said operating-knob to position the latter foroperation from the interior only of the box, and means for attachingsaid casing to said box.

6. A collection-indicating device for mailboxes, comprising a casing,symbol-bearing dials arranged in said casing, a strap also arranged insaid casing, bolts for securing said strap therein, springsupporting-arms carried by said strap and secured thereto by said bolts,said arms being engaged with said dials to hold the same in the casing,and operatingknobs carried by said dials, in combination with a mail-boxhaving openings formed therein to receive said operating-knob toposition the latter for operation from the interior only of the box, andmeans for attaching said casing to said box.

7. A collection-indicating device for letterboxes, consisting of thecasing 9 provided with the depressions h circular indicatingdialsaprovided with indicating-numerals and mounted upon suitable hubs, thetrunnions of which rest within the depressions it, retaining-springs forholding the said trunnions within the depressions, and a suitable lock-.

ing device for holding the indicating-dials in a fixed position,substantially as described.

8. A collection-indicating device for letterboxes consisting of a casingg provided with an opening v and two central depressions 72. smalldepressions 7c surrounding the said cen- ICC tral depressions, suitablenu meraled dials provided with trunnions, adapted to rotate Within thesaid central depressions, and suitable pins as m arranged to engage withthe surround- 5 ing depressions 1c in combination with retaining-springsfor locking the same in position substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing specification I have hereuntoset my hand this 15th day of October, 1902.

GEORGE H. HUNTINGTON.

In presence of- E. G. DUVALL, E. PEEBLES.

